Review | Coheed And Cambria – The Father Of Make Believe
Virgin Music Group
`The Father of Make Believe’, the 10th studio album of Coheed And Cambria is one that comes with high anticipation from fans and journalists alike. The new record continues the band’s epic Amory Wars / Vaxis saga, following the critically acclaimed 2022 release, `Vaxis Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind’.
The album has been preceded by three singles that showcase the band’s evolving sound. ,,Blind Side Sonny’’, which is possibly their most aggressive and fierce track to date, as it sets a tone of intensity for the album. ,,Searching for Tomorrow’’ offered a more introspective approach with its soaring vocals and is accompanied by an Anthony Scheppard-directed animated video. With their most recent single, ,,Someone Who Can’’ being hailed as potentially the band’s most accessible song during their 24-year career, Coheed and Cambria raise the stakes towards this shimmering new album.
A DEEPLY PERSONAL AND INTROSPECTIVE JOURNEY
Frontman Claudio Sanchez describes the album in the press kit as “a war within myself,” suggesting a deeply personal and introspective journey. He’s taken a more direct approach to songwriting this time, addressing his life and career more openly than in previous works. This shift in lyrical focus, combined with the band’s signature sound of wailing guitars and explosive dynamic drums, paves the way for an emotionally charged and sonically rich experience.
Being introduced to the new chapter, with its compelling story consisting of 14 new songs, `The Father of Make Believe’ opens with the colorful and timid ,,Yesterday’s Lost”, hinting back at Peter Gabriel’s most immersive songs, gradually building towards ,,Goodbye Sunshine” in which the musical path shapes. A pushing guitar riff tilts into the bridge and chorus, unleashing the band’s intense proficiency.
FRETBOARD MAGIC
Claudio’s vocal delivery is powerful, touching with pop and rock’s finest, while his guitar interaction with Steve Stever is at the front of the songs. Underneath the song’s creative structures are held up by the progressive rhythmic discharge of Josh Eppard. Helped by Zach Cooper’s chordal alternation and melodic low end playing, both add to the dynamics of the band and its Cooper who frequently runs his lines alongside the guitars, making the compositions well with melodic valor as proven on ,,Searching for Tomorrow”, where he aligns with the guitar rhythm as the countering guitar melodies pitch higher with swirling fretboard magic.
With the title track the band display their creative prowess and its nesting melodies are topped by the following ,,Meri of Mercy”, with its wonderful floor and tom drum dynamics and its intense guitar interplay. Displaying his vocal abilities Claudio conveys melodic and heart touching emotions of melancholy and uplifting grace. The song touches deep emotionally.
MODERN METALLIC CROSS OVER
The hard-hitting and extreme ,,Blind Side Sonny” transitions into the modern metallic cross over rap-attack ,,Play the Poet”, maintaining the brisk explosives of the preceding track, falling into the soaring ,,One Last Miracle” with its bursts of melodic mayhem atop the raunchy laden verses. Toning down the frail ,,Corner of my Confidence” does its title justice. The acoustic song is a melodic touching ballad traversing frail emotions. Gearing up melodically, ,,Someone Who Can” packs tremendous stride and spirited guitar and (poppy) vocal melodies.
The duo of songs is a great moment to gear up for the intense progressive ,,The Continuum I – Welcome to Forever, Mr. Nobody”, that builds towards the more epic 2nd chapter ,,The Flood” with its time changes and alternating guitar tone and scattering rhythms. Keys raining into the mix with synth clinical tone atop the weeping guitars, the song packs intense momentum and gradually unfolds its conceptual grandeur.
THE CLOSING 4TH CHAPTER
,,The Continuum III – Tethered Together” has the synths modern tone aligned to the wailing guitar licks that suddenly starts to pick up pace on the propelling drums. The chorus is powerful, and stacks time changes and breaks without losing its melodic direction. Multiple layers of melodies and rich textures add to the profound vocal delivery. The song wells and ebbs with emotions, and Sanchez outdoes himself frequently.
The combustion of the song is my personal favorite, uniting the band’s insane abilities, and delving into the closing 4th chapter of the ‘Continuum’ sequence ,,So it Goes”, the album closes on a feelgood note with the song blending a parading Beatles vibe and intricate emotive vocals. The guitars swirl and sing like springtime is abound, with the drums laying down a fresh stance. The harmonized vocals and pitched, great string arrangements in the middle are intensely melodic and nest immediately. Making the album go out on a high the sudden rift and unexpected cinematic breakdown is fierce and makes anticipates the next chapter their saga.
COHEED AND CAMBRIA – THE CONCLUSION
`The Father of Make Believe’ is shaping up as a significant milestone in Coheed and Cambria’s career. It honors their rich history while pushing their sound and storytelling into new territories. The multiverse of styles is typical Coheed and Cambria, and it doesn’t stray from the root of their catalogue, without adding new scopes and musical intensity widening their boundaries. For fans of progressive rock, concept albums, and epic narratives, this release is a must listen. Though expected, expect the unexpected!
The 2LP vinyl editions of album will be released in a multitude of colors, of which the marbled magenta ‘Blind side’s brain’ and the magenta-black swirl versions on the band’s website are especially noticeable. Aside this, there’s a regular black and hard magenta version as well as a mint green edition. For die-hard fans and collectors, a limited-edition box set is available for pre-order. It includes exclusive items such as the Death Certificate of Siv Trafinder (Signed) and an exclusive wearable helmet with neuro-dynamic goggles, a hard cover coffee table book, and other unique memorabilia, adding an extra layer of immersion into the Amory Wars universe.
Release date: 14 March 2025
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